The
Dates and Significance of the National and Kefalonian Holidays and Commemorative
Days

Introduction:

Holidays, historic and religious, allow us to enter the deepest corner of
the soul of the citizens of a nation. These commemorative days show us what is
most significant in the minds of the inhabitants, as they progress through their
history.They identify what dramatic
historical episodes the people have experienced; they express how the people
perceive those who fought, suffered, survived and perished during those
episodes; and they declare what historic people and events give the population
strength to progress forward, day after day, into the future.

It is important to understand that, due to the fact that there is no
separation of Church and the State in Greece, several major religious feast days
are also celebrated as national holidays.

The following is a list of Greek historic and religious national
holidays, and Kefalonian, historic and religious, provincial holidays.

The
Greek National Flag

Date

Adopted
by The 1st National Assembly in Epidauros in
January 1822; and by The Provincial Administration Of
Greece

This is the official flag of the Greek Democracy. It
has 9 horizontal stripes 5 blue and 4 white.In the upper left hand corner is a square the size of 5 stripes.Inside the square are four blue squares and a white cross.

The cross symbolizes the Christian belief of its
people;, the color blue, the color of the sky; and the color white, the
snow-covered mountains, the white caps of the sea and the white skirt of
the soldiers who fought the Turks for independence in the 1820’s.There is another explanation which people consider more
serious. It states that the white represents the innocence of the Greek
people, and that the blue signifies their seriousness andstrength.

The flag iscommonly referred to as the“γαλανόλευκη”-

“galanolefkey”, meaning the
blue and white.

Historic
and Religious National Holidays

Date

The
Commemoration of:

January 1

New
Year’s Day and St. Basel’s Day

New
Year’s Day is of course a National Holiday.On the same day the Greek Church celebrates St. Basel’s Day.According to Greek tradition, it is St. Basel, and not

Saint Nicolas, who brings the
children gifts during Christmastide.Traditionally
in Greece, Santa Claus –

St. Nicholas – is celebrated on the 6th of December, as the
patron saint of sailors.

January
6

Epiphany

A national religious holiday celebrating
the baptism of Jesus; the revelation of Jesus, as the son of God; and
the Holy Spirit as the third entity of the Holy Trinity.

The
Three Priests

January
30

This is a national school holiday for all
levels of education.These
three priests were very involved with religion, education,philanthropic acts; and were fearless of the landlords.

Καθαρά
Δευτέρα–
Clean Monday

48
days before Easter

1st
Day of Greek Orthodox Lent

Foods
for the fast on a buffet at the school in the village of
Soullaroi, Paliki

Is a national religious holiday
celebrated the day after the Carnival, which is always on a Sunday.
"Clean Monday" is the first day of fasting in the season of Lent.Its position in the week would be synonymous with Shrove Monday
in the Catholic or Protestant denominations; however, its religious
significance is that of Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

On this day the villagers organize a
Lenten feast of

" foods for the fast" - unleavened bread, fresh green
salads, fish egg salad, olives, cooked giant beans, fruit and wine.They bring the food to a central place - the village square or
the school, and arrange it as a buffet; then, all of the villagers eat
together.After the meal,
they socialize and dance until the early evening.

The Greek Revolution Against the Turks

March 25,

Beginning
of theRevolution
1821

The Greek Revolution against the Turks began
on March 25, 1821 at Saint Laura with
the blessing of the revolutionists, their arms, and the Banner of
Battle - the flag - by Bishop Palaion Patron Germanos.

The
Virgin Mary receiving Gabriel’s message.

An historic holiday, commemorating the beginning of the
revolution against the Turks - Ottoman Empire- on March 25, 1821.The Greeks won their freedom from the Ottoman Empire, the Turks,
on May 7, 1832 with the signing of the Treaty of London.

This is also a national religious holiday
commemorating the Virgin Mary’s reception of Gabriel’s messagestating that she was with-child;a child who would be the Savior of the world.

Easter Monday

The
day after Easter

Easter Monday is a national holiday.

As a religious holiday it is called the Day of Love.

AssumptionDay

August15

A national religious holiday
commemorating the falling asleep of the Virgin Mary.

ΟΧΙ !DAY

October28, 1940

The soldier, of the Kilted Greek Regiment. on the right, is a young man
from Lixouri, Kefalonia.

These
soldiers are named Τσολιάς
- Cholias

On this date the Greek

Prime Minster, John Metaxas, received a letter from Bonito Mussolini,
which basically stated….

The deadline has arrived; I want
Greek soil, so that the Italian army can pass through Greece.But, Prime Minister Metaxas thunderously stated, «ΟΧΙ»,

(NO! )

His response, of course, led
Greece into war with Italy and then with Germany.This day has since been known as

«ΟΧΙ Day».

National Commemorative Day

Polytechneio

November

17,
1973

This is not a full National Holiday; only the
universities and schools are closed.It is in commemoration of the students who were killed at the
timethe
tanks of the Dictatorship of George Papadopoulos crashed into the
Polytechnic Institute of Athens, where the students fighting against the
dictatorship had sought asylum.

Christmas Day

December25

A national religious holiday celebrating the birth of
Jesus.

The Day After Christmas

December26

This is a national holiday.

Public
Holidays of Kefalonia

These are coins from the four ancient
City-states of Kefalonia.Mythology
tells us that King Cephalos gave land to each of his sons, Pale, Sami,
Proni and Krane. Today, these names still apply to areas of Kefalonia.

Saint Haralobos is the patron saint of
Lixouri.He helped in the
time of the plague by giving assistance to the poor and ill.It is said that he played a large roll in stamping out the
plague.This date is a
public holiday for the municipality of Paliki.

Independence Day

of
the Ionian Islands

May
21

The flag of the
United States of the Ionian Sea, under the protection of England.

The
Rizospastes, the group which lead
the people of the 7 islands into
revolt to free themselves from

British
rule and unite with

unoccupied,
free Greece.

This picture symbolizes the union of the Seven Islands with the Free
State of Greece.

The seven women represent the Seven Islands.

This date commemorates the day on which the Ionian Islands
were united with the Free State of Greece. On this day, Saturday May 21,
1864, at 12:00 noon, the British sailed
away from the Ionian Islands; thus making the dream of the Kefalonians
and the inhabitants of the Ionian Islands, a reality.

Saint Gerasimos Day

October
20

New Jerusalem Nunnery at Community Omalon

Below:

Saint
Gerasimos
'Αγιος
Γεράσιμος

Saint Gerosimos is the Patron Saint of Kefalonia.1507-1579; sainted in 1622.

He was born with the secular name of Notaras in
Trikala, Corinth.Saint
Gerasimos is known for his travels in Greece, Constantinople and
Jerusalem.He arrived in
Kefalonia in 1554 and took the position of permanent priest in Valsamata
in 1560.The church of Holy
Jerusalem was established during the crusades, cir. 1200 in the area of
Omala.There he made a
nunnery, which he named New Jerusalem.

In this nunnery, he lived as a
hermit - monk counseling visitors and creating miracles until his death
in 1579.

His remains were moved to a memorial on October 20, 1581.It appears that due to this event, his name is celebrated on this
date every year.October 20th
is a public holiday for the municipality of Argostoli. However, people
all over the island celebrate it as a very special Saint Day.